Justice Secretary David Lammy has disclosed that 91 prisoners have been mistakenly released in England and Wales since April, with up to four still at large. In a Commons statement, he detailed three inmates police are actively tracing, while a fourth released last Monday may also remain unaccounted for.
Lammy attributed the errors to staffing cuts under previous Conservative governments, noting that frontline prison officers were reduced by a quarter between 2010 and 2017. He confirmed that 262 prisoners were freed in error in the year to March 2025, a 128% increase on the previous year, out of 57,000 releases.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick criticised Lammy for losing track of prisoners, calling the situation a 'farce' that endangers the public. Lammy invited Jenrick to join him in apologising for the mistakes, emphasising the need for systemic reform.
Lammy outlined measures including a new justice performance board and a £10 million AI scheme to help staff calculate sentences accurately. He confirmed that none of the three known at-large prisoners are sex offenders, identifying them as a drug offender, a person who failed to surrender, and a convicted burglar.
